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It should be this, with a few Scriptural citations.
Since Scripture Alone is the only source and foundation of Faith and Practice, then we must also believe that Justification/Salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone, to the Glory of God Alone.
And the reason why it is all Alone is that, given in our natural state, we are rebels and don't have the ABILITY to understand the Spiritual because it requires Spiritual Discernment, and we are Spiritually Dead (Ephesians 2:1-3;Romans 3:10-18; 1 Corinthians 2:14-16)
These are some of the reasons why it is ALL of Him, and what All He did, and it is ALL found in what He revealed in Sacred Scripture.
Rodrigo
{ Can I correct you on the 5 Solas of Reformation along with these Scripture Passages? }
Eric replied:
Rodrigo —
Apologies on the delay in getting back to you; your e-mail slipped through the cracks. 2 Timothy 4:14-17 does not prove sola scriptura. Just because someone can be corrected by an appeal to Sacred Scripture doesn't mean that everything must be proven by an appeal to Scripture. Back up a verse or two, and this very quote also says,
214 But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it,"
not "remain faithful to the Scriptures ... because it was from the Scriptures". Much is made about the "perfect" or "complete" aspect, but we see very similar text in James 1:4, and no one would argue that all we need is patience or steadfastness and nothing else. Similarly, we shouldn't argue that all we need is the Scripture and nothing else. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 says we are to believe both what is in Scripture and what is in Tradition. Many other verses uphold the importance of tradition (2 Peter 2:21, 1 Corinthians 11:2; see also Titus 1:9, 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 1 Peter 1:25, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Isaiah 59:20-21, Luke 10:16). Scripture says the pillar and foundation of the truth is the Church, not the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:15).
The only time that "faith alone" is mentioned in Scripture is when it is condemned in James 2:24, although we can affirm justification by faith alone if by "faith" is understood faith working through love (Galatians 5:6) and not mere intellectual belief (James 5:19).
As for "Soli Deo Gloria" and Romans 5:1-2, the word "alone" is simply not there. Hebrews 2:10 speaks of God bringing us to glory, so it's not exclusively God being glorified. A father is glorified in his sons and daughters and their successes, not in his own work alone.
It's true that the unregenerate man is spiritually dead. But God makes us alive (Ephesians 2:1) and able to work together with him (2 Corinthians 6:1, 1 Corinthians 3:9) and so become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4) so that we act like Christ. Then, we are able to do what is right and, if we do so, be judged favorably on the Day of Judgment (Romans 2:6-11). With respect to Romans 3:10-18, this is being taken out of context. St. Paul is quoting Psalm 14, and he is not quoting out of context, so let's look at the context:
1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none that does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there are any that act wisely,
that seek after God.
3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt;
there is none that does good,
no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon the LORD?
5 There they shall be in great terror,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
6 . You would confound the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is his refuge.
The implication the Reformed Christian wants to make is that all men, without exception, are corrupt, none do good, none seek after God, etc. First of all, verse one makes it clear he is referring to those who say in their heart, "There is no God."
Strike one against that interpretation.
Strike 2 is in verse 5 where it refers to the "generation of the righteous".
How can there be a "generation of the righteous" if everyone is wicked and corrupt?
Strike three is in verse 4 where it says that "the evildoers [] eat up my people". There is a contrast here between the evil and God's people, implying that not everyone is righteous. The point that St. Paul is trying to make is not that every single individual is fundamentally corrupt, and no one seeks after God (that that is a lie is betrayed by the many people in Scripture who sought after God), but that Jews can be just as corrupt as Gentiles.
It says this right before St. Paul quotes this in Romans 3:9.
He doesn't introduce it by saying,
"All men are spiritually dead and corrupt, and no one seeks after God, here let me prove it from the Psalms."
He says,
"Both Jews and Greeks are under the power of sin"
and gives an example of Jews being under the power of sin.
We know that Scripture calls several people "just" (Matthew 1:19, Mark 6:20, Luke 2:25, Acts 10:22, Genesis 6:9), even before the New Covenant. Thus it cannot be true that everyone without exception is corrupt, unjust, and depraved.
It is also true that ultimately God is the final or ultimate cause of all glorification, but he allows us to share in that, so it is not him "alone" but him working together with us. We pray in the liturgy, with St. Augustine,
"You are glorified in the assembly of your Holy Ones, for in crowning their merits you are crowning your own gifts."
(Roman Missal, Prefatio I de Sanctis; Qui in Sanctorum concilio celebraris, et eorum coronando merita tua dona coronas, citing the "Doctor of grace," St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 102, 7: PL 37, 1321–1322.)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches (#2008):
III. Merit
.
2008 The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man's free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man's merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit.
I hope this helps.
Feel free to write back with any comments or requests for elucidation.
Eric
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